Alexander Zverev powers into Madrid final to set up another Jannik Sinner showdown

The World No 3, a two-time champion in Madrid (2018 and 2021), was in control for much of the contest, racing through the opening set before being pushed harder in the second.

Blockx raised his level to stay competitive, but Zverev held firm, securing the decisive break in the 11th game before serving out the match to seal victory.

He will now face Sinner in Sunday's final in what marks their fifth consecutive meeting at ATP Masters 1000 level, with the German having lost their last four encounters, all in straight sets at the semi-final stage.

Zverev, however, has been one of the standout performers of the week and welcomed another shot at silverware after a demanding run through the draw.

"I'm very happy of course to be in a final," Zverev said. "There were a lot of tough matches, many battles since the start of the tournament."

Sinner's passage to the final had already been secured earlier in the day, with the world No. 1 delivering a commanding 6-2, 6-4 victory over France's Arthur Fils in the semi-final.

The top seed was in ruthless form against an opponent fresh off his Barcelona Open triumph, reinforcing his status as the leading favourite for the title.

"I tried to be very aggressive," he said. "I felt very comfortable on the return. In the second set, he started to serve better, so it was more difficult."

"I'm very happy about the general performance today. I'm trying to play the best possible tennis, but today was a very good day in the office."

Despite the defeat, Fils continues his upward trajectory on clay, while Zverev's victory over Blockx capped a breakthrough week for the Belgian, who is set to rise to No. 35 in the ATP rankings after defeating three top-20 seeds en route to his first Masters 1000 semi-final. 

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